


TiMER 13

by Wicked_Wisty



Category: Warehouse 13
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-01
Updated: 2013-04-19
Packaged: 2017-11-26 05:44:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/647186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wicked_Wisty/pseuds/Wicked_Wisty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU in the TiMER verse I don't own anything. I got a case of the plot bunnies and couldn't leave it alone. Might be the slightest bit wordy. I'll be updating in pieces depending on when I finish editing each part. I hope you enjoy it!<br/>-Wisty</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

She doesn't believe it. She never has, not for a second. Don't misunderstand, she believes in true love, as ridiculous as it seems. She believes in love at first sight; but Myka Bering cannot bring herself to believe in the TiMER. Nevertheless, the morning after her 14th birthday, she awakes with a sharp pain in her left wrist as well as the sensation of metal cutting into her temple.  _Well, I guess I'm going to have to find a new way to sleep_. It is a nuisance, to say the least. Everyone she meets, her friends, teachers, neighbors who have never been part of her life, want to know how much time is left. It isn't worth it to her. If she is truly going to meet her One, she shouldn't need an implant in her arm to announce it to the world. Myka's parents were married with two children before the TiMER was marketed. Jeannie and Warren Bering would be divorced by now if it weren't for Myka and Tracy, Myka's younger sister. Wanting to be a family for their daughters, they did the best they could to provide a loving home. But Myka knew. Of course she knew. She'd found unsigned divorce papers around the house on more than one occasion. Not that Myka needed tangible evidence to know her parents were miserable together. She found herself wishing on more than one occasion that her parents would go through with it. After all, it wasn't easy growing up with an overly-controlling mother and verbally abusive father whose arguments would keep her awake and cause Tracy to crawl into bed with her to try to ward off tears prompted by shouting and slamming doors. When the TiMER was proven effective, the Berings decided they wanted their daughters to be able to avoid re-creating their parents' marriage.

Myka had tried for months to hide it from the world. And from herself. Her particularly annoying best friend, Pete Lattimer, was the only one who knew. He'd convinced her to let him look if he wouldn't tell her. One day, though, the multiple bracelets she wore to cover the TiMER had to come off.

Myka Bering is 16 years old. Myka Bering is a sophomore in high school in Colorado Springs. Myka Bering is an avid reader, remarkable fencer, a quiet observer. Myka Bering is going to meet her One in 3 days.

* * *

_I don't want to._   _You're being a child_.  _But why did I have to find out today? Destiny? Don't be facetious; I just don't want to know when I meet him until I do._  The damn TiMER already screwed up my relationship with Sam, my ex-boyfriend with a still-blank TiMER. We'd always hoped his was blank because I was still too young to get one. I'm almost halfway home before I realize I am crying.

Pete had dragged me to one of his football practices during lunch. Of course, being the awkward, lonely screw-up Myka Bering always in the wrong place at the wrong time I ended up taking a football to the back of the head. I woke up to a pounding headache under the fluorescent lights of the nurse's office, Pete babbling incoherently somewhere to my right. Something about "-accident I swear!" The mixture of the bright light and Pete's voice makes me wince, groaning as a new round of throbbing to the back of my head. The nurse immediately turns back to shine a bright light in my eyes, shaking her head. So, I have a concussion. Pete won't shut up, apologizing profusely. As if I wouldn't have found a way to get hit if hadn't called to me. The nurse could see me wince each time he started trying to apologize again and sent him away. "So, are you excited?" "Um…"  _What the hell is she talking about_? "I mean, three days until you meet your One, I couldn't stop thinking about it once mine got to one month, much less 3 days." My eyes flew to my left wrist. She'd removed the bracelets to check my pulse. 02days 11hours 23minutes 47seconds

_No._

I'm not sure how long I stayed that way. I was brought back to some plane of reality by the nurse checking my pulse, shining that damn flashlight in my eyes, and calling: "Ms. Bering. Ms. Bering? Is everything okay?"

_No, no, no, no, NO_

Despite the pounding behind my eyes I jumped out of the chair and ran. "Myka!?" I was vaguely aware of Pete following me, but nothing truly registered but the panic gripping my heart, constricting my chest, making it difficult to breathe.

_Not yet, not now, not ever_

I ran across the field, still occupied by the football team, not caring if I got in their way.

_Maybe I'll wake up and have imagined…_

"Mykes, wait up!"

_Yeah. I'm still unconscious in the nurse's office_

I ran the whole way home, Pete trailing behind, still in his football gear. I ran into my parents' bookstore, past my mother, and straight to the stairway leading to my family's apartment. "Myka?" I ran into my room, locking the door behind me. "Myka? Are you okay?" I breathed a heavy sigh letting my weight collapse against the door, sliding until I was sitting on the floor. "Myka, answer me, you're scaring me." No way in hell was I opening the door. "Peter!?" "HI MRS BERING!" And then there was Pete running down the hallway and…

THWACK

Straight into my locked door.

The adrenaline of the unveiling of the TiMER and the subsequent chase home left my body as I sat, crying, I now realize, on the floor. Feeling the anger drain from my body, I gave in to the sobs threatening to take over.

* * *

No one ever understood why I didn't want the TiMER. To be honest, I'd been disenchanted with the whole idea since I was a child. Growing up with your nose in a book teaches you to believe in love and hate, hope and despair, choice and destiny; all human emotions. It just never fit to believe that love, an emotion at the very core of human existence, needed such a device to show itself. I always believed that the TiMER made a mockery of love, making it something bought instead of learned. "But Myyyyyyykes, you HAVE to get a TiMER. What if I'M your One, wouldn't you want to know?" "Pete, I'm sure you're not my One," I laughed, "But don't you want to KNOW?" To which I punched him in the arm. "Mykes," he pouted, we'd been best friends for a long time, and he knew I couldn't handle his pout. "Fine," I huffed "I'm sorry, I just don't think I should need a TiMER to know that I love somebody. What if you were my One? Wouldn't it bother you that we didn't feel that way before?" " _I_ never said I didn't." I scowled "Pete," "be serious, wouldn't it be weird to find out that someone you'd  _never_  thought of that way was supposedly your true love? And what about timing? Even if you meet someone as a kid, would  _you_  want to know that maybe 10 years later you would feel that way about her? It's just...too soon." It took more to convince my parents. They still don't get why I didn't want to see the TiMER. They assumed that it was anticipation and so long as they left me alone about it I wasn't going to argue.  _So much for that_ , I thought regretfully.

I was torn back to the present by an insistent knocking at my door.

"C'mon Mykes, open up!"

"Go away Pete," I trembled with the sobs still wracking my body.

I could hear my mother and Pete talking quietly on the other side of the door.  _Why won't they just leave me be?_

I heard someone retreat from the door and down the stairs. "Hey Myka, will you let me in?" I sat rocking against the door, arms wrapping around myself, nails digging into flesh trying to hold myself together. "Myka, you know I won't give up until you talk to me." "Just GO AWAY Pete," I screamed, surprised by the way my voice broke with the shrill exclamation. I heard Pete step back from the door like he'd been burned. I don't scream like that.  _See what this thing is doing to me?_  "Please," I choked on the word.

Pete didn't say anything for a while, and then, "Do I have to go get Claudia?" That got my attention. "Pete, I swear to god if she breaks my door you are explaining it to my parents." "Oh come on she won't  _break_  your door." I can almost hear him roll his eyes. "Just strip it's hinges," I replied bitterly. I was no longer sobbing, though there was still a steady trail of tears spilling down my cheeks. I don't like crying, it's messy, and vulnerable, and vulnerability gets you hurt. And it leaves you exhausted. Right now she just wanted to cry until she fell asleep, and maybe this wouldn't be happening. "I will go get her if you don't unlock the door." Eventually I stood and opened the door, one hand on the door, the other gripping the doorframe for support. "And now you'll leave me alone?"  _I hope_.

* * *

Pete softened as he took in his best friend's disheveled appearance. "Sorry bud, but not gonna happen." Pete stepped into her space, wrapping her up in a bear hug. Myka took a deep breath, not wanting to be around anyone, but too exhausted to protest. They stood this way for a while, Pete content knowing Myka was more collected, Myka content to revel in the silence. "You going to be okay?" "Do I have a choice?" Pete sighed, "Come on." Myka let him lead her over to her bed, crossing her arms tightly. She didn't protest when he sat down, leaning against the headboard, and let him pull her over next to him. Pete pulled her back into his arm. "So, do you want to tell my why you're so upset about this?" She rolled her eyes. "You already know, Pete." "Tell me again?" "Right after you get your shoes off my bed." Pete had to smile at that. Even when she was manic depressive she was still Myka "Quit avoiding the question."

"I'm 16." She left it at that.

"And?"

"And Sam and I just broke up."

"You two broke up 4 ½ months ago."  
"And?"

"4 months isn't 'just broke up"

"It is when you love someone."

"Love?"

"Yeah, love, Pete."

"No, I mean love? Not  _loved_?"

"I-I don't know, Pete," Myka exclaims getting up and starting to walk away. Pete grabs her wrist to turn her back around, when his hand encounters something sticky and dark. "Jesus Christ, Myka!" He pulls her back around to look more closely at her left wrist. "What?" she sniffs, watching as he pokes at different spots on her wrist "OW, Pe- _oh_ "

"Yeah ' _oh._ " Myka's left wrist is bloodied and torn around the TiMER, which is now caked in dried blood.

"Di-did  _I_  do that?"

"Well I sure as hell didn't"  
"I don't remember…It must've been when I locked my mom out, I knew about these" she gestured to the red marks on her arms where her nails had dug in during her crying fit "but…" Pete just sat her down on her bed, and walked out of her room, returning a few minutes later with a roll of bandages to see her still sitting, staring at her wrist like it was an alien presence to her body. Pete was careful as he cleaned away the blood and wrapped the bandages around her wrist. "At least it will cover the TiMER." Pete clenched his jaw ruefully as he finished off the wrapping and returned them to their earlier position on the bed.

"I know that it's less romantic than just looking someone in the eyes and  _knowing_ , but you are going to meet your One in three days. At least you won't have to guess, and who knows, when the time comes, you might just  _know_ , even without the TiMER."

"All I know is I'm  _supposed_  to meet the love of my life in three days, and I just don't  _want_ to."

"C'mon, Mykes." Pete exclaims in a frustrated tone "Some of us have to wait…9,231days 10hours 27minutes 52seconds"

Myka sighs in defeat. This has always been a touchy subject with Pete. Imagine finding out at 14 years old that no relationship is going to work until you're 41 years old. That's why he wanted to see Myka's when she got it. He wanted to know if he would have someone to wait with. She wishes she could, she really does.

"I'm sorry, Pete. It's just, doesn't that bother you at all? You're a sweet guy, you have plenty of suitors," she nudges his shoulder, he snorts, "what I'm trying to say is, what if it's a self fulfilling prophecy?"

"I'm not following…"

"What if nothing ever works out until that clock reaches zero, because the clock exists? It's human nature, Pete. Humans are possessive and defensive. When you love someone, you want reassurance they're yours and only yours. And humans subconsciously strive to protect themselves from harm, and that includes heartache. It's not that far a reach to say the fact that there's tangible 'evidence' to say that they will never be yours is enough to keep someone from even trying. What if you could fall in love, or meet your true love before the TiMER goes off, but neither of you would recognize what's there because a  _machine_  says otherwise? And then, even if it wouldn't really work out with the person the TiMER claims is your One, the power of suggestion makes you believe it?" By now Myka's voice has reached a crescendo. She's about to start crying again, and Pete holds her tighter as her voice drops to a whisper "What if you could be happy before 41 years old? What if Sam and I could have been happy, even for a while longer? I think the TiMER breaks apart just as many people as it brings together." Turning so he's right next to her ear, Pete whispers, "And you are reading too much psychology." Myka has to smile at that, albeit a weak smile, and makes a choked sound akin to an indignant laugh.

They sit in companionable silence for a while, Myka's arms still wrapped around her, though no longer to hold herself together, and Pete's arms still hold her to his chest. "I'm sorry. If it's any consolation, you'll be a great One for someone. Well worth the 25 years for them." "Well, in a couple of days if you don't like him I'll be free for a while" Pete says jokingly; Jokingly on the surface, at least. Myka thinks, for a moment, that she could be happy like this, with him. She's never felt drawn to Pete in  _that_  way, but she does love him, and you can't exactly be friends for 12 years and not act somewhat couple-y.  _I mean, we've been cuddling together in my bed for the last hour and a half_. But Myka knows that he'll find someone, and hopes she will too. She doesn't need the TiMER to tell her whom she loves. And she doesn't need it to tell her whom she isn't meant for.

They lay there for a while, laughing and teasing, Pete coming up with the kinds of disaster scenarios for when Myka's TiMER rings that only Pete could think of. Eventually, though, Pete stands from the bed, causing Myka to yelp and glare at him for displacing her. "Well, I know you're not planning on going back to school, but since I'm not such a delinquent," Pete teases "I should get going." He thinks she can handle it, but he can't help but glance at the bandages adorning Myka's left wrist. "You'll be okay? I mean, do you need me to-" "I'm fine Pete…Really, I'll be okay." He still doesn't totally buy it, but he knows that she's as okay as she'll be in this situation, and so he tousles her hair, ignoring the reappearance of her indignant glare, and turns to leave. "Just—call me if you need me. Bye Mykes!"

Myka sits on her bed, listening to the sound of Pete's quick conversation with her mother,  _maybe she'll leave me be, now_ , and the chime of the bookstore door as he leaves. Myka lets go of a breath she doesn't realize she was holding, and falls backward onto the bed.

 _What the_ hell _do I do now?_


	2. Chapter 2

Ok, so this is what I word-vomited today. I'm not really sure how it turned out...

Thoughts?

* * *

The day after Myka's timer was unveiled was…uneventful. The bandages on her wrist kept the TiMER from view, and it seemed as though the nurse had not told anyone, so thankfully Myka was not subjected to the usual questions, excited giggles and blatant staring from her classmates; she doesn't think she could've survived that. She certainly wasn't looking forward to the ridiculous  _applause_  that accompanies a public meeting. She was always embarrassed for the couple whenever she'd been a witness.  _Why can't people respect that it's a private moment_? This was part of the growing list of reasons why she was petitioning to stay home the day her TiMER went off. No such luck, though. Pete had personally promised to break into her house (though, seeing her parents' excitement when she got her TiMER she has trouble believing they wouldn't let him in), drag her out of bed, and carry her to school kicking and screaming in her pajamas. She was not interested in testing the value of his word.

The few days dragged by, with little more on her mind than the seconds steadily ticking away on her TiMER. Myka is reading a book in a corner with her lunch, and, of course, Pete tries to convince her to be social "Tomorrow's the big day Mykes! You ready to meet the love of your life!?" Myka punches Pete in the arm, hard "Pete! Shut up!" They're in the crowded cafeteria of the high school, and Pete's exclamation turns a few heads. "Awww, come on Mykes. At least the waiting will be over." 0days 11hours 43minutes 21seconds At midnight tonight, her TiMER will stop, and what everyone else considers the best day of her life will commence. Though she was still dreading the moment, she did wish it would pass so she could stop this pointless worrying. She could barely focus on her classes, and homework might as well have been a nonexistent entity for the time she spent considering her studies. "Just, lets not talk about it, okay?" "Fine, you keep reading your book," he grabs it from the table in front of her, eliciting a cry from Myka, who immediately tries to take it back, "and  _I_  will go hit on the hot brunette over-" "Ha!" Myka manages to catch the book he's waving, teasingly, over her head. "Jeeze, Mykes. You would've thought you'd memorized this one by now from reading it so many times." "Well it's my favorite," she sniffs indignantly while dusting off the cover of her well-worn copy of  _The Time Machine_. "You better hope your One cares as much about books as you do or we're going to have a problem."

* * *

Myka's parents were wise enough not to ask her about her breakdown and subsequent destruction of her perfect attendance record (and Pete loved that school was her greater concern), but apparently Pete had told them because Myka and her mother would  _not_ be having this argument otherwise. "Mom, I am not wearing… _that,_ " Myka gestures to the dress on her bed that her mother conveniently bought and wants her to wear tomorrow, for 'no reason in particular' "to school, or anywhere." "Myka, don't you want to look nice for your—for tomorrow " Myka glares "I didn't think there was anything wrong with the way I dress any other day, why is  _tomorrow_  any different?" Jeannie gives up the pretense that Pete had not told her. "You're meeting your One, you need to look…presentable." "Well, I think the TiMER is going to go off one way or another." "Just wear the dress and put on a little makeup, that's all I ask." "If I'm going to meet my One, shouldn't it be the way I normally am? Converse, jeans, T-Shirt?"  _This is why I didn't want the damn thing in the first place! Everyone knows the most intimate detail of my life, and somehow it becomes their problem._ "But don't you want to make a good first impression?"  _And now the most personal moment of my life is going to be fabricated_. "I just—look mom, I'm not looking forward to this anyway so can I at least dress comfortably?"

* * *

Myka lay in her bed staring absently at her left wrist.  _3, 2, 1_  the TiMER began to beep when it hit zero, as her alarm clock simultaneously struck midnight.  _Well,_  she thought,  _here goes nothing_.

* * *

"Hey hey hey!" Myka groaned as she heard Pete from down the hallway, closing her locker to turn to meet him. "Woah! Mykes, you look smokin." Myka looked away, straightening her blue sundress "Shut it Pete, I'm getting enough 'looks' as it is you don't need to draw even more attention." And she was, anyone who'd noticed her in the hallway any other day did a double take as they noticed the change in attire. She'd given in regarding the dress, thinking it better than pulling her father and sister into the argument. She squirmed uncomfortably as they started walking down the hallway to the cafeteria for lunch trying to make the dress sit comfortably, making eye contact with no one. "Mykes, you do know you're going to meet him at some point today whether or not you walk with your head down all day," Pete laughs and Myka shrugs, feeling ridiculous. She doesn't understand why she's feeling  _shy_ about all this. She doesn't want it to happen anyway, so why should it bother her? "Hey," he says turning her to face him "you're going to be fine." Myka offers him a thankful smile as they make their way into the crowded lunchroom, Pete steering her through the crowd, as she continues to keep her head down.

* * *

"I am telling you it was  _not my fault_!"

"Perhaps not, but we ended up here regardless, and  _I_  most certainly was not responsible for sending our chemistry teacher to the hospital!"

"She was responsible, if anyone, for making the labels so utterly illegible."

"Either way my dear sister you were expelled and I was forced to move schools with you. Honestly I don't see why I am being punished for your behavioral discrepancies."

"My  _discrepancies_? What, my curiosity? My genius intellect? My damnation of this blasted device I was subjected to?"

"How about your lack of respect for any rules, your promiscuity, which stuck you with said 'blasted device' I might add, and your refusal to function normally in society."

"I don't need to listen to this!" she huffed as she turned, attempting to storm away, which would have been successful were it not for the backpack lying at the foot of one of the tables. As it were, she fell over the bag, succeeding in spilling her lunch all over…

* * *

If Myka expected anything eventful to transpire that day, it would not have included being run over and covered in the slob the cafeteria passed as food. Myka heard an accented voice off to the right state "Exhibit A" but was unable to pay attention to anything past the stranger flailing in front of her attempting to regain balance and some sense of dignity while babbling an incoherent mix of "Oh my goodness I am so sorry!" "No, no it's fine." "I was not watching where I was going." "Really, it's okay, I have some extra clothes in my locker." The stranger began to look up, sweeping somewhat disheveled dark hair out of her face. "It was not my intention to-" Myka and the stranger made eye contact, and she was subsequently cut off by a loud, rather obnoxious, Myka thought, beeping.

Beeping coming from each of their left wrists...

And for her impressive intellect, Myka Bering could only form one coherent thought...

_Crap._


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, I've been writing and re-writing this part all week and just can't seem to get it right, so I'm just putting this part behind me. I'm posting this half-chapter now, and will post another half-chapter by tonight, and then I should be back into stable plot territory. It is what it is  
> -Wisty

 

 _Crap_. Everyone in the cafeteria was cut off by the loud beeping of their TiMERs, until the sound cut out and everyone stared in silence.  _Crap_. No one was participating in the customary applause.  _Crap_. Everyone just stared.  _Crap_. And then the whispering started.  _Crap, crap, crappity crapcrapcrap_. Of all of Pete's disaster scenarios, she'd never expected to be paired with a woman.

The stranger _-no-my One_  and Myka stood staring at one another, the stranger opening and closing her mouth, attempting to speak but unable to gather her wits to produce words. The first to break the spell was the stranger's companion, "Well then lets go get you cleaned up." Myka found herself being quickly steered through the crowd as the boy spoke quickly "My name is Charles, by the way. Charles Wells." The stranger and Pete stared after the two for a moment, locking eyes before following after them. "You will meet my sister soon enough, it seems. Where did you say this locker of yours was?" They were out of the crowded cafeteria, Charles suddenly handing a still-dazed Myka off to Pete, and whirling around to face his sister.

Myka gaped at the two as Pete led her away. Charles, who had been the epitome of composure, was steadily turning purple as he reprimanded his sister in hushed tones. Myka and her One seemed unable to look away from each other, both still in a state of shock. As Myka allowed Pete to drag her through the hallway and around the corner, cutting off her view of the two, Myka began to go through the events of the past few minutes, trying to make sense of what had just occurred. Myka was vaguely aware of having her extra set of clothes handed to her, and being pushed through the door of the girls' bathroom. She changed into her extra pair of clothes,  _At least I'm out of the dress,_  she thought as she pulled on familiar denim jeans.

* * *

Feeling more like herself, Myka walked back over to Pete, who was sitting against her locker door, looking almost nervous as she sat down next to him.

"Heyyy, Mykes."

"Hi, Pete. Thanks for helping me out back there, I wasn't myself." she smiled apologetically.

"Yeah, yeah. Sure! No problem."  _Okay…_

"Pete, what's up?"

"What? Nothing's  _up_."

"Pete," Myka reprimanded.

"Ok, it's just, you know, you never told me you were gay…"

"WHAT!?"

"I mean I'm completely fine with it, but that's what's up. You know you can tell me anything." Myka could see Pete working himself up.

"Pete!"

"Huh?"

"I'm not gay."

"Um, Mykes…"  _What is up with him?_  "Your One is…"

_Right. Crap. Your One is a woman. I'm not gay. It's not a bad thing. NO, of course not, it's just I'm not. There's pretty strong evidence to argue with that. There's just been a mistake, machines make errors; I will work this out._

"No, no she's not. She's not my One." Myka stood, closely followed by Pete.

"Mykes-" "Pete, it's just a mistake!" Pete could tell that what had happened was starting to register to Myka. She hadn't even really  _met_  this girl and she was in complete and utter denial.

"But, it would be okay if you were. Okay?"

"Sure, Pete." But she was already walking away. He couldn't tell she had a plan and that it probably wouldn't turn out well. Pete sighed as he followed her down the hallway.


	4. Chapter 4

Myka rounded the corner to where she’d last seen Charles reprimanding her “One” and came upon them sitting against the lockers as she and Pete had been just minutes before. Her “One” looked up as she made her way down the hallway toward them. Standing, the stranger walked over to Myka, hesitating for a moment before holding out her hand, stating “Helena Wells”. Myka accepted the handshake, glad that the stranger-Helena-was being nothing short of formal. “And, you?” Helena prompted. “Oh! Oh, right. Um, Myka,” she stuttered, “Myka Bering.”

* * *

 Helena, about flustered enough to scream at whoever had cut her off with that incessant beeping, realized it originated at the small device planted in her left wrist. She was taken aback as she stared into forest-green-eyes, realizing that she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with this girl in front of her…

This girl that she’d just spilt her lunch on…

Bollocks.

Normally in possession of quite the silver tongue, Helena was unable to formulate a coherent response to what had just occurred. Normally an incorrigible flirt, she could not help but feel that flirting would prove completely out of place having just embarrassed this girl, and herself, in front of a large number of people. Continuing to apologize seemed out of place as well, seeing as they had just discovered they were supposedly destined soul mates.

And so she did nothing but stare at the girl in front of her.

She appeared just as flustered as Helena was, her mouth hanging open; green eyes now flashing between panic, fear and disbelief. Helena found herself unable to look away from the stranger’s eyes, and so she allowed herself to be caught in the sickening cliché of staring into the eyes of her supposed beloved. As she studied the way dark pupils merged into a light green, smattered with yellow flecks, almost gold, with a dark rim the color of clovers, she vaguely registered Charles poking her in an attempt to recover her wits. When Helena continued to merely stare, Charles swept around her, taking the girl, who looked at him with the same glassy-eyes, by the hand and leading her away from the crowd. Startled out of her reverie by the sudden shift of the crowd’s attention to her, as well as the quickly retreating forms of her brother and her One, who was periodically looking back at her, as though to determine she was truly there, she looked around quickly. Catching the eye of her One’s companion, who was studying her curiously, she began to follow after them, sensing the boy’s presence at her side.

She hurried to catch up with her brother, and once the doors to the cafeteria had shut behind them, Charles politely handed the stranger off to her companion and turned to face Helena.

“Of course…Of course you would find a way to trip over the bloody love of your life in such a spectacular way!” he hissed.

“Huh?” Helena was barely paying attention, retaining eye contact with her One as she was led down the hallway.

“What is wrong with you? You cannot even sulk away properly without making a fool of the both of us.”

Charles, noticing where Helena’s attention lie, noted “And her as well! The poor girl, stuck with you for the rest of her life.”

Helena continued to study the girl, only vaguely aware that her brother was insulting her, until she disappeared around a corner.

“And that as well, have you thought what you are going to tell our parents?”

“Excuse me?” She mumbled, having only just come back to herself.

“They are expecting you to tell them of the love of your life…”

Ah, yes. Won’t mother and father find this interesting, she mused.

“It has been all of three minutes, Charles.” she chuckled “Nevertheless they will just have to accept it for what it is.” Helena did not want to have a TiMER, but she could not argue with the 100% success rate coupled with her own numerous experiments and examinations of the blueprints for the device, and had to admit that even she could not find a flaw in the mechanics or the interface with the blood stream. And so there was not doubt in her mind that she and this girl were matched. When her parents had forced the wretched device into her life she could not imagine they had fathomed this outcome. They were never quite fond of her preference for the fairer sex, though she knew they would endure it if it truly brought her happiness.

“Oh do not look so smug. You are insufferable. I’m technically in charge of you so if you do anything wrong they will decide I am to blame.”

“Oh, come now. You know that’s not true.”

“Hmm”

“In any case there is not much they can do from over 7,000 kilometers away.”

“Horrid planning on their part, where you are concerned.”

Helena met his eyes with a smug grin.

“She is beautiful.”

“Pardon?”

“The girl whom you spilt your lunch on.”

“Oh, she is?”

“You don’t agree?”

“I didn’t really notice.” Helena admitted. “At the moment I was not greatly concerned with her aesthetic appeal, but rather attempting to reconcile the mere moments it had taken to draw the attention of the entire student body.”

“You didn’t notice? You truly are hopeless.”

Charles grabbed her hand, dragging her over to the nearby row of lockers and pulling her down to sit next to him.

“What are you doing?” she laughed.

“If you didn’t notice anything I intend to tell you about her.”

Helena rolled her eyes, knowing that Charles was a hopeless romantic. It would be a near compulsion for him to describe the stranger to her.

“For starters, she has shoulder-length brown hair, curly. It would probably be half way down her back were it not curled so tightly. Piercing green eyes, and a charming slightly crooked jaw. Thin, but not unhealthily so, and very long legs. I’m guessing that you at least got a good look at the dress, which looked stunning, but she was obviously uncomfortable. Oh, and she had a book: The Time Machine,” he finished with a conspiratorial smirk.

“Oh really? An H.G. Wells fan?” She inquired, sharing his amusement at the coincidence.

“I would say so, quite the perfect match, isn’t it?”

“What’s in a name?” she countered.

“Oh yes, and she is taller than you.”

“What?”

“Yes, she was nearly my height.”

“Not possible.”

“She absolutely was. Leave it to you to find a match who is an H.G. Wells fan possesses an unnatural height to rival yours and able to wear it beautifully.”

Helena smiled at him, aware that in his mocking tone was hidden an expression of his approval.

“Out of curiosity, what were you looking at that whole time?”

Helena shifted uncomfortably, uncharacteristically embarrassed of the answer.

“Come on, out with it.”

“I was looking at her eyes.” She explained.

Charles chuckled, eyeing his sister with curiosity “It would seem you are quite smitten already.”

“Smitten? I only just met the girl, if we are to use met generously.”

“Who would’ve guessed Helena Wells would find herself smitten with a quiet little bookworm from Colorado!” he teased. “I do hope you are not planning on seducing her unless you mean it.” This was said with slightly more concern for the subject, as Helena had a history of many physical relationships devoid of emotion.

“Oh please, she is just a child and far too innocent. Anyway I believe it is illegal in this country.” She scoffed, somewhat offended at his assumption.

"A child? You're only 18!"

"I believe it's illegal nonetheless."

“Stop making excuses. You are being ridiculous.”

Charles saw the curly-haired girl round the corner wearing a determined expression, and nudged Helena. She turned and quickly stood to properly meet the girl, noting that she was truly beautiful, as Charles had told. Meeting the stranger partway down the hall, Helena paused, attempting to decide what appropriate conduct would be. Deciding the girl’s reaction earlier ruled out flirting, or mentioning their… relationship? Predicament? “Helena Wells,” she offered, reaching to shake the stranger’s hand. Helena took a moment to appraise her, noting that the girl was indeed taller than her. The girl, looking flustered and doe-eyed, said nothing in return. “And you?” Helena nudged. “Oh! Oh, right. Um, Myka,” Helena could barely suppress a smirk as she witnessed the other girl grappling for words. “Myka Bering.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I have the next 3 major plot points planned out, but this damn transition just wasn't happening. I've been sitting here for (2 weeks?) trying to get it right, and in the end just got really angry at this and apparently decided to take it out on the characters... IT WILL GET BETTER FOR THEM SOON I PROMISE
> 
> Also, my friend beta'd this for plot, and said that it seemed out of character for Pete. I see what she meant, but I did not change it for two reasons.  
> 1\. I am not writing this again.  
> 2\. This all makes sense in my head because I know what comes next, so just be aware that clarity is soon to come.
> 
> Enjoy

“Myka…” Helena let the unusual name roll off her tongue. “It’s a beautiful name,” she conceded. Myka felt herself blush, though she wasn’t sure why…

Her head, otherwise occupied, abandoned her and she replied mindlessly “You have an accent.” regretting it the moment the words left her mouth. She could not help but flush ever deeper as she was engulfed by the sound of Helena’s mellifluous laughter. “So it would seem. I am from London.”

“What are you doing in a high school in Colorado Springs?”

“I am a transfer student. There was a…misunderstanding with one of my old professors, so I am finishing my senior year here.”

“What did you do?”

“Why is it you automatically assume  _I_  did something?” Helena stuttered, marveling at how quickly Myka had turned the tables. Usually Helena could talk circles around anyone, but she was caught off guard by Myka’s bold accusation.

“Did you?”

“Well,  _technically_  I did-” Helena cut off when Myka raised an eyebrow, smirking at the pout adorning Helena’s features.

“I am not  _truly_  to blame.” Helena muttered, causing Myka to laugh brightly, making Helena smiled in return

* * *

 “It looks like they are getting along rather well, wouldn’t you say?” Charles asked as he shamelessly spied on his sister and her One. Pete let out a frustrated sigh, continuing to pace. “So far, at least. Myka’s not too…excited about…all this.” Pete replied, gesturing vaguely. Charles turned to look at him quizzically “Whatever do you mean, they’re getting off famously.” 

Pete stopped his pacing to face Charles “Myka isn’t gay. Or at least she doesn’t think she is. She’s completely in denial.” 

“What?” 

“She’s convinced herself it’s a glitch in the TiMER.” 

Suddenly worried for his sister, Charles began to formulate a way to convince the girl she was being foolish. “That’s absurd, what precedent has she to justify her…theory?” 

“She’s scared. Don’t be too hard on her, okay? She doesn’t have the best home life. Who knows what her parents will say?” 

“I see. Well, this complicates things.” Charles stated on a sigh as he fell back against the wall. 

“What do you mean?” 

“I do believe my sister is quite smitten with her already. Helena is tough skinned and thick skulled, but she can have a somewhat delicate constitution when it comes to matters of the heart. It might be wise to warn her of your friend’s stance on the matter.” Charles explained as he pushed away from the wall, turning the corner as Pete collected his wits to follow him. “Alright,” he conceded nervously, “but I’ve got a bad vibe about this.”

* * *

 “So,” Helena began tentatively, “I was wondering how you want to do this.” 

Confused by the sudden change in topic, Myka queried “Do what?” 

“Well, the situation we’re in. I am guessing your parents will want to meet-“ 

“Right, I meant to talk to you about all this.” Myka remarked, gesturing to her left wrist where the TiMER still resided, forever still. 

“And my grandfather Chaturanga asked for me to invite you to dinner with us tonight. I believe he is rather enthralled with the idea of meeting my One-” 

“I’m not your One...” Myka explained as Charles turned the corner, followed by Pete. 

“Pardon me?” Charles could see the disappointment and confusion settle in Helena’s eyes. 

“And you’re not mine. I’m sorry Helena, you’re wonderful, but I’m not gay.”  Charles, Helena, and Pete’s eyes were fixed on her. “It’s a glitch in the system. We just have to go to the TiMER office in town and they can fix it.” Myka stated with surety, attempting to convince her audience while also assuring herself. 

Charles, looking away from the regret in his sister’s eyes, turned to Myka. He walked towards Myka slowly, as though she were a wounded animal that would wound itself if it were frightened. “Now darling, I know it’s a lot to accept-“

“No. You don’t understand. There is nothing to accept. Nothing has changed about me. It’s just a mistake.”

Pete, unable to remain silent any longer cut in “Jesus, Myka! You can’t just keep running away from everything that might make your life harder!” Charles attempted to rein him in, but with little success, Pete pushed him aside to stand directly in front of Myka. “You spend all day at my house, and stay the night whenever you can, trying to stay away from your parents. You wore those fucking bracelets for the last two years because you didn’t want your life to change because of the TiMER. You hide in the library whenever you’re not in classes so you don’t have to admit you’re lonely; and I am sick and tired of watching you make yourself miserable. You have a chance at happiness and refuse to take it, and then wallow in your sorrow, alone in life except for me. And I’ve let you do it,” he laughed bitterly “I’ve let you do it all these years because I thought ‘ _Something is going to change. Somehow, someday, Myka’s going to change. She just needs time._ ’ Well take all the fucking time you want Myka, but don’t expect me to wait with you.” With that, he spun away, storming to hell knows where, probably to go back to the cafeteria to eat away the anger.

Charles took in the mess before him. Myka’s face was white to the point that she looked ill, her eyes red from tears she seemed unable to control. “Darling,” he said as he gathered her into a light hug, “it’s going to be alright.” Myka looked at him with desperation in her eyes. “It will be fine as soon as we get this sorted out,” she insisted. “Myka,” he placed his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look him in the eye; he could tell she was at breaking point, “there is nothing to sort out.” Myka was slowly shaking her head, still looking at Charles, begging for none of this to be true “No matter what you do, this happened. There is no way to-”

“Charles, enough.” Charles turned to face his sister, whose face had slid into a mask of apathy. Addressing Myka, Helena stated “I can drive us into town now. I’m sure your professors will understand.” Charles gaped at her. “Come.” She commanded Myka quietly, turning on her heels and walking briskly down the hallway.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi :)  
> Thank you all for the comments and whatnot. This is another short chapter that just wouldn't work for the longest time (I also lost some of it because my computer hates me) and had to rewrite, which my muse doesn't like.  
> It felt wordy, but I think it's just me.  
> And there is more HG POV to come, just wait a bit; it doesn't come as easily as Myka POV.
> 
> Well, here it is.

“Thank you.”

Helena started at the sound of Myka’s voice. They had driven in uncomfortable silence for nearly ten minutes.

“I think I might have lost it if Charles had kept going.”

“Yes, well, Charles can be quite an ass when he pus his mind to it. No one deserves to be subjected to him.” Helena responded with a forced chuckle, pretending she didn’t care. _I couldn’t care_ , Helena thought to herself, _It had been all of five minutes. You do not know her, Helena. She is nothing to you._

Myka, determined not to let the kindness go unacknowledged replied “No, really. Thank you.”

“Anytime.” Helena responded, shifting under the weight of the tension between the two of them.

* * *

 

Helena’s car pulled up to the TiMER Office in Colorado Springs, its inhabitants silent, not having spoken since Myka’s brief thank you. The silence continued as they got out of the car and walked into the office. Within the doors Myka and Helena walked up to a beautiful dark-skinned woman at the front desk. Taking notice of the pair walking in, the woman, Leena according to her nametag, addressed them quietly “Hello! Welcome. How may I help you?”

Myka walked up to the counter, Helena close behind, and delivered the words she had mentally rehearsed in the car “There’s been some kind of malfunction with our TiMERs.” Leena did not respond, only studied the air around and between them, a wistful smile on her face. After another minute of silence, Myka turned to Helena with a questioning look. Helena responded with a shrug. It seemed neither of them knew where the woman’s mind had wandered. Myka coughed lightly, regaining Leena’s attention, and continued: “We would like to get this sorted out.”

“What is the malfunction?”

“Our TiMERs reacted, but we’re not- _she’s not_ my One.”

“I see.” Leena said carefully, sparing a sympathetic glance towards the black-haired girl silently standing back. It did not occur often, but occasionally there were customers who were not initially…satisfied…with their match. Remembering the procedure, Leena turned to her computer and opened the TiMER database. “What are your full names?”

“I’m Myka O. Bering, and she is Helena…”

“Helena G. Wells” Helena supplies.

Myka turns around, giving Helena a disbelieving look. “Your name is H.G. Wells?”

Helena nods in response, a smirk playing at the edge of her mouth, though her eyes are still blank in manufactured apathy. Myka rolls her eyes, _Of course_ , turning back to watch Leena search the database.

“Your TiMERs went off at 12:03:37 today?”

“Approximately, yes.” Myka replied.

“Come with me.” Leena stated, and led them into one of the rooms where they performed the procedure to integrate the TiMER.

Leena proceeded to take blood samples and run tests on both the blood and the TiMERs which Myka had no hope of understanding, though Helena watched with interest, a spark in her eye that Myka had not seen before.

After the final test was over, Leena looked at Myka “Everything seems to be in order.” It was both a confirmation and an apology.

“So, there’s no malfunction?” Myka asked, the hopeful expression draining from her features.

A young red-haired girl walking past the doorway spoke up “Malfunction? No, no, no these don’t ‘malfunction.”

Myka recognized her as a freshman from her high school. Her panic overshadowed her curiosity as to why the girl was here. “It has to be a mistake.”

The red-haired girl, Claudia, Myka remembered walked over to them, obviously annoyed.

“ _I_ perfected the interface. Everything is 100% functional.”

“You worked on the interface?” Helena asked, intrigued. Myka did not allow Claudia to respond. “It is not! This,” Myka insisted, gesturing between her and Helena, “is not possible!”

“Yes, I did.” Claudia addressed Helena and then turned to Myka. “Look, I don’t know what you’ve got going on with her, but whatever it is, my interface isn’t the problem.”

A full-fledged argument was about to break out when a voice spoke from behind Myka and Helena.  
“Ms. Donovan. I suggest you return to your filing in the back room.” The woman with a beehive hairdo in a tweed jacket said pointedly. “Sure thing Mrs. F” Claudia muttered as she left the room.

Once Claudia had left the room, the woman, who had an exceptionally frightening gaze, turned on Myka and Helena. “My name is Mrs. Fredric. It has come to my attention there is some sort of problem here.” She stated, locking eyes with Myka.

“You are…” Myka began

“Yes, TiMER is mine. What is the problem?”

“I-Yes. Um, there’s been a malfunction.”

“There are no malfunctions with the TiMER. As I’m sure Ms. Wells can attest to, the interface is perfectly engineered.”

“There’s no malfunction.” Myka stated, deflating with the finality Mrs. Fredric’s confirmation effused.

“I’m afraid not.”

Myka looked to be on the verge of tears, and so Helena took charge, taking Myka by the arm and leading her towards the door. “Thank you.” She said over her shoulder to the kind receptionist and the mysterious woman, leading Myka to her car.

“Did you get a read on their auras?” Mrs. Fredric asked Leena, still watching as Helena deposited Myka on the passenger side, before making her way back around the car. She stopped at the trunk, releasing the control she had kept through the encounter. She collapsed against the back of the car and running both of her hands through her hair in frustration.

Leena nodded in response, also studying the interaction. “Their bond is particularly strong. The dark-haired one feels regretful; mostly burgundy and black. She thinks she has done something wrong; upset the other somehow. Her aura is projected outward, more fitting to her outline than an actual part of her; more of an outgoing personality, not many inhibitions. The green-eyed one is similar, but more sorrow than regret: deeper purples. It has a splash of bright red as well. She’s afraid. Her aura doesn’t extend far past her skin; it’s mostly inside of her. It almost seemed to recede when the other touched her.”

Leena was silent for a moment as they watched Helena recollect herself and get in the driver’s side of the car.

“Everything about their auras should clash, but seeing them together is somehow beautiful.”

“Have Claudia keep half an eye on them. If they return contact me.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have some filler.  
> Beta'd by applesnatheists

_Breathe, Myka_. She schooled herself, hitting the call button on her cell phone. Each ring of the dial tone increased the tension in her muscles and the pounding behind her eyes.

"Bering and Sons Books, how may I help you?"

"Hi mom, it's Myka." She could feel her mother perk up; she'd probably been waiting to hear from her.

"Hi dear, is there any reason in particular why you are calling?" Myka sighed at her mother's attempt to mask the motive of the query."

"I, um-I've met my One."

"Oh! How is he? Is he handsome? Oh, I bet he's just the smartest boy. When can we meet him?"

_Him_

"Well," Myka's mind scrambled to salvage the situation. How can I answer without lying? "HG's grandfather invited me to dinner…"

"HG? Is that his name? Oh, your father will be so delighted. You two can come over here afterwards."

"Ok, mom. Bye." She hated this. It was too easy to deceive with little more than omission when her mother talked this much. She hung up her phone and closed her eyes.  _Step One: done_

* * *

Helena looked back one last time at the TiMER headquarters, locking eyes with Mrs. Fredric, before she got into the driver's side of the car.

"How would you like to proceed, then?" Helena asked Myka, who was sitting across from her, eyes closed.

"We should head back to school." Myka replied tiredly.

"And then?"

"Pretend this never happened?" Helena's heart sank into her stomach, hand reaching to fiddle with her locket, until Myka barked a bitter laugh and turned to look at her. "No, I'm sorry. That wasn't okay. I'm just - my parents - I don't want to have to do this."

The exhaustion and anxiety in Myka's eyes, coupled with the words, filled Helena with such empathy that she almost reached out to pull her into a hug.

Almost.

Instead, Helena sighed, "I understand. I am not going to attempt to tell you it is easier than you believe." Helena thought back to when her parents first discovered her preference for the fairer sex. "And to have it forced upon you and announced to the public simultaneously…"

They sat in silence; Helena almost believed that Myka had fallen asleep. Moments before she started the car to return them to classes, Helena heard her quiet confession. "I wouldn't even mind being gay if I was actually…attracted to women right now. I am expected to live the rest of my life with someone whom I may not fall in love with for-what?-20 years? 30?"

"I expect nothing of you."

" _You_ aren't the problem."

After considering for a moment, Helena turned on the car and pulled out of the parking lot, in the opposite direction of the school.

"Where are we going?" Myka asked carefully.

"We've already missed a substantial number of our classes; no harm in skipping one more."

"Yes harm!" Myka exclaimed, "My parents will kill me if they find out."

"Well they won't find out then." Helena said with a conspiratorial smirk "And I daresay I am in desperate need of someone to show me my way through this city; if not this entire culture."

Helena failed to contain a laugh at the face Myka wore in that moment; she could almost hear the girl thinking  _Dear God, she's a lunatic_. "Would you rather face your fellow classmates now, or tomorrow?" HG asked pointedly.

Myka thought for a moment, "Memorial Park is a few blocks up from here. It wouldn't be the  _worst_  place to catch up on all of the work I am missing."

Helena did not respond, allowing Myka the delusion that she would allow her to work while they skipped class - it was to make Myka feel better, after all - but could not contain her grin of triumph.

* * *

They lay on the ground beside Prospect Lake, lazily discussing whatever topics occurred to them. After a short argument and the subsequent attempt by Myka to reach Helena's car keys - which she stowed away in her shirt quickly ending Myka's attempts to wrest them from her grip - Myka's backpack sat locked away in HG's car.

Of course, eventually, their discussion returned to the TiMER.

"If you hate the idea of it so thoroughly, why do you have one?" HG asked.

Myka shrugged "My parents made me. They wanted to save my sister and me trouble. What about you?"

"It is not important." Helena said quickly, earning a raised eyebrow from Myka. Sitting up, closely followed by Myka, she sighed wearily running her fingers through her hair. "I began my foray into romances early. I operated with few inhibitions and little regard to consequences. When I was 16, after attending a celebration at which I was very much inebriated, I found myself in what my parents would refer to only as 'peculiar condition'. " At Myka's confused look she continued. "I was with a child, whom I intended to keep."

"Oh." Myka said.  _SHE HAS A KID. Yes, she just said that. HOW DO I REACT TO THIS?_  "I have to be honest, I didn't expect that." She laughed nervously, though somewhat apologetically, noting the calculating look on Helena's face. Myka realized she was trying to decipher her reaction, and smiled lightly, hoping to reassure her.

"What happened next?" Myka asked, buying time to recover her wits.

"My parents were horrified." Helena replied, still eyeing Myka warily. "They could not stand the thought of their socialite companions discovering their unwed daughter was pregnant. Therefore, I was given an ultimatum. I could marry the father when I was of age and keep the child for my own, or we could carry on as though the child was my mother's."

"What did you choose?"

"The father was- _is_ -an ass." She said with venom Myka had not yet witnessed. "As I said, I was rather inebriated at the time. Though I most likely would have done it anyway, however with more care for protection, if only to spite society." Helena mused _._  "I did not wish for that boy to be any part of my life and so my mother and I spent a year in France. We returned with the child of my mother's 'unexpected pregnancy'. My end of the bargain was that if I did not marry the boy I would get a TiMER: my parents' horrid attempt at ending my escapades."

"Wow." Myka said. "That's…a lot." Attempting to keep Helena's 'escapades' from her mind.

"Yes…my parents have since shipped me off to any boarding school that would take me. I caused them quite a bit of grief," Helena added with pride. "At last, I landed in the same school as Charles. A teacher claimed I mucked up and by then I had accumulated a large number of offenses on my record, so Chaturanga offered to take me on."

"What about Charles?"

"Ah yes, we've studied in different places for most of our lives and, as such, he is rather unaccustomed to my ways. My parents thought he would be a good influence and sent him along, poor boy. I do believe he shares the same opinion of my sanity that you seem to hold." Myka was about to protest when she noticed the sly smile tugging at Helena's lips.  _She's playing with you, Myka._  "Now I believe he is just trying to keep up. Always has been a bit of a spoilsport." Myka dipped her head as she held in the giggles Helena's many expressions threatened to evoke. "Thank you for telling me, Helena. Your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you. Would you like to see her?" Helena asked with barely-concealed excitement.

"Sure."

Helena scooted over to where Myka was sitting against a tree to lean next to her, Myka staring at her with a mixture of amusement and disbelief at the somewhat child-like display. She watched as Helena pulled a locket from her shirt, opening the clasp and smiling shyly at Myka before turning it so she could see the picture within.

"My daughter, my Christina." She said with a wistful smile as Myka beheld a little girl around two years old with short, dark hair and deep brown eyes like her mother.

_Her mother_ …

The thought caught Myka off guard.

"She's beautiful. It must suck to be away from her."

"It hurts every day…" She stood then, offering Myka her hand. It seemed Helena had enough of revealing herself. "It is getting late. My grandfather will be expecting us soon."

Myka took HG's hand and pulled herself up, realizing it was the first skin-on-skin contact they had made, and letting go quickly because that really shouldn't have been such an important realization to her.

"Well, lead the way."


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!
> 
> Two notes! The first one is short: I'm sorry for disappearing for almost two months! When I was going to write this chapter I came down with the AP Chemistry blues and then once I had time to write again THE WORDS JUST WOULDN'T COME followed by family issues and backlash including the note below, I just haven't been able to get this up until now. Thank you all for being patient with me. 
> 
> So! Here's the long note. Everything is basically covered in the first half of the paragraph, so if you didn't have this issue or don't want to find out a little of how I view Myka's character go ahead and skip ahead. I have the scene with Myka's parents basically completely written, but before I dealt with Myka's sexuality again I thought I should clear this up/give people time to respond. I've had some people on Tumblr and people PM-ing me here asking about this fic (if it's going to be continued etc) but I also had some people ask why my Myka was acting homophobic. I thought that I would address it on the next update. That has not been my intention for the character. My Myka is one of my understandings of who Myka might be as a teenager. This particular possible-teenage-Myka, to me, is shy and nerdy, doesn't have many friends, but no one particularly dislikes her she acts as a wallflower both in public and tries to at home. I see her as someone who is very concerned with impressing her parents, and who understands that her father will not be easily impressed by her. I see her as someone who is very open-minded, but so obsessed with pleasing her parents and wanting to be "normal" for them that she is terrified by the fact that her One is a woman. She doesn't actually mind that Helena is her One, she would not mind being gay, but she is afraid of what it will mean for her relationship with parents/teachers/etc who she spends her entire life ensuring she won't disappoint. It is not an issue to her that Helena is a woman, it is an issue to her that she might be a disappointment. And I know that this as well may have a negative connotation (that being gay would make her a disappointment) but I feel like with the world she grew up in, believing that she was straight and then being outed before she has a chance to discover her sexuality on her own, her reaction would not be just struggling with telling her parents, it would also be realizing it herself at the same time. I know that when I started questioning and realized that I probably had crushes on certain girls who I couldn't figure out why I was so concerned with who they were and wanting to know everything about them, realized what that would mean socially if I was gay, realized the conversations I would have to have with my parents, I was absolutely terrified. Even though I still don't know how I identify I have come to terms with who I am and what this all means and the conversations and possible rejections by loved ones I will have to face if I decide and come out. Myka never had that chance to realize what was happening, explore it, think on it, and come to terms with it. She was outed before she had even an inkling that she would ever be attracted to girls, and it terrifies her that people are going to be disappointed or violent because of a Myka who she isn't yet. She doesn't feel equipped to deal with that Myka's battles and she doesn't feel equipped to be that Myka, but the TiMER has forced the people around her to see her as that Myka.
> 
> I am very sorry if this has not been communicated well. If I have offended anyone or made anyone uncomfortable I hope this clears things up. If anyone is still concerned please don't hesitate to PM me or message me on tumblr (whereinthewarehouse.tumblr.com).

"Chaturanga"

"Myka. Myka Bering."

Helena's grandfather was a curious man. He had at the same time the light of intelligence and humor in his eyes, complemented by the glint of insanity that came upon them as he discussed one of his inventions or a particularly interesting chess game. Myka found herself enjoying the dinner despite herself; any lingering anxiety of the day fading away as she enjoyed Charles and Chaturanga's company. They asked her a series of questions about her life, childhood and aspirations. At some point she had been able to turn things around and Chaturanga was quickly lost within his own stories.

"Are you alright?" Helena asked quietly, resting her hand on Myka's knee.

Myka started at the touch. She had been lost in her own musings and had apparently adopted a somewhat dazed look. "I'm fine," she said, her cheeks coloring slightly, "I got a little lost in my head. Did I miss anything important?" They both turned their attention back to Chaturanga who was rambling about the London of his childhood. They had listened to Chaturanga tell tale after tale about the wonders he had seen around the world. He seemed slightly off his rocker but he was a kind old man nonetheless. He seemed to adore Helena, much to Charles' chagrin. And Myka had to admit: Helena's grandfather was brilliant.

"I seem to have lost myself as well. Last I heard he was discussing the feud between Edison and Tesla. Who deserves credit, how the public view was distorted and whatnot"

Myka jumped as her phone rang in her pocket. Seeing it was her mother calling, she excused herself and stepped out into the hallway.

Helena returned her attention to her plate, drawing designs aimlessly in her food, deep in thought. She was shaken from her reverie by the sound of Chaturanga clearing his throat. She looked up, meeting the eyes of Charles and her grandfather, who were looking at her expectantly.

"Yes?" she asked

"Well?" Charles prompted.

"Well…"

"What do you think? Of her?" Chaturanga clarified.

"I think she is a stranger and therefore I cannot form a proper opinion of her at this time." Helena returned her food, looking up only when prodded by her brother under the table.

"Yes, Charles?" She sighed.

"HG" Charles said in reprimand

"I think she's lovely." She conceded "I think she is the slightest bit afraid of me."

"As well she should be. " Charles added.

"I resent that." She exclaimed, the corner of her mouth turning up in amusement.

"He does have a point, my dear. You have quite the knack for trouble." Chaturanga cut in, grinning playfully to draw the edge from his words.

"Now this is simply unfair. You two are teaming up on me. I will not have it." She stated, sitting back in her chair, challenging them to continue.

At that moment Myka returned. Helena stood, taking Myka's hand and pulling her towards the doorway to escape Charles and Chaturanga's teasing. "We should be going. Myka's parents are expecting us at some decent hour of the night which appear to be dwindling."

"Thank you for dinner. It was nice meeting you!" Myka yelled down the hallway as Helena dragged her to the front door. "How did you know that was why my mom called?"

"I didn't, that was simply perfect timing."

Chaturanga heard the front door shut and chuckled, "It seems you had nothing to fret about. They are getting along famously."

"Hmm, it seems no one is immune to her charms."

"No matter how unwilling they may be." Chaturanga added. They shared a conspiratorial glance. "Although, I never expected Helena to allow herself to be so thoroughly smitten so quickly. To be quite honest I never imagined her as one to be smitten at all."  
"She is not used to permanence of any kind. Always being moved around, chance happenings. The TiMER offers that permanence." Charles mused.

"I suppose so." Chaturanga said as he rose to attempt to prepare the ever-elusive 'perfect cup of tea'.

* * *

"Are you sure nothing is bothering you?" Helena asked as they sat in her car down the road from Myka's parents' bookshop.

"Yes" Myka answered far to quickly and, glancing to see if Helena had noticed, was met with a raised eyebrow along with a no-nonsense look Myka had only ever seen on a parent reprimanding a small child…

_Right…_

"Okay," she sighed, "My parents…I don't know if they're going to like…all of this." She admitted, gesturing to encompass the two of them. "To be quite honest I'm still rather shell-shocked myself."

After a moment, Helena took off her seatbelt, turning so that her legs were tucked underneath her and her body was facing Myka in the seat beside her.

"Myka," she began, "I don't want anything from you. You do not owe me anything You do not owe anything to this." she said, lifting Myka's arm to show the TiMER. "Who you love, what you do with your life, is still your decision. I suppose we will see the accuracy of this device in time." They sat in silence for a few moments, Helena's hand still on Myka's wrist, and Myka's eyes regarding the TiMER. "I promise you, everything will be resolved in time." Silence. "Everything will be okay." Helena added.

Myka was out the door of Helena's car, walking up the street to her home, before Helena had registered that she had moved at all.

"You coming?" She yelled, not slowing her pace, the determined set to her shoulders belying the apprehension still held in her mind.

Helena smiled softly, hoping that her promise could be kept, before hurrying to catch up with Myka as she stopped in front of her parents' bookstore. Helena paused a moment to admire the shop from the street before following Myka inside.


End file.
